Ngereteina Puna is a former Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament

Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament

The Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament is the presiding officer of the Cook Islands Parliament. The manage the House in accordance with its Standing Orders and according to the traditions of the Westminster system....

 and Cabinet Minister

Cook Islands Cabinet

The Cabinet of the Cook Islands is the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch of the Cook Islands Government. It consists of the Prime Minister and a number of other Ministers, who are collectively responsible to Parliament....

. He is the older brother of Prime Minister Henry Puna

Henry Puna

Henry Tuakeu Puna is the current Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He is leader of the Cook Islands Party.-Early life:Puna grew up in Aitutaki. He was educated on Aitutaki and Rarotonga before studying law at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the University of Tasmania in Australia...

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Puna grew up on Aitutaki

Aitutaki

Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura, Ararau and Utataki, is one of the Cook Islands, north of Rarotonga. It has a population of approximately 2,000. Aitutaki is the second most visited island of the Cook Islands. The capital is Arutanga on the west side.-Geography:Aitutaki is an "almost...

. After graduating from the University of Auckland

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 he worked as a teacher. At the 1979 election he was elected as MP for Arutanga-Reureu-Nikaupara

Arutanga-Reureu-Nikaupara (Cook Islands electorate)

Arutanga-Reureu-Nikaupara is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. Its current representative is Teina Bishop, who has held the seat since 1999....

. He went on to serve as Minister of Education in the Cook Islands Party

Cook Islands Party

The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the Islands' politics since 1965....

 government of Geoffrey Henry

Geoffrey Henry

Sir Geoffrey Arama Henry KBE is a Cook Island politician who was twice the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He was leader of the Cook Islands Party from 1979 to 2006.-Early life:...

. After retiring from politics at the 1999 election

Cook Islands general election, 1999

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 16 June 1999 to elect 25 MPs to the Parliament. The Cook Islands Party won 11 seats, the Democratic Alliance Party 10 seats, and the New Alliance Party 4 seats....

 he was appointed Speaker of the House, a position he held until 2001.

Puna is currently based in Auckland, where he works as an advisor to Te Wananga O Aotearoa

Te Wananga o Aotearoa

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is a tertiary education provider, specifically a wānanga, in New Zealand. The organisation was established to improve the social and economic wellbeing of those who had previously had negative experiences with the secondary education system...

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Puna's father, Tuakeu Manuela, was a Member of the Legislative Assembly

Parliament of the Cook Islands

The Parliament of the Cook Islands is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand colonial rule, it became the national legislature on independence in 1965....

, and his older brother William Estall also served as a Cabinet Minister.